Sedgwick County Zoo is in my opinion the most underrated zoo in the United States, and perhaps that is because it is located in Wichita, Kansas, near the center of the nation. There isn't a single exhibit complex that would perhaps make a list of the very best in American zoos, but there is barely a weak link in the entire park. There is a fantastic representation of all major animal groups, a range of continental exhibits that are all top-notch, and some superb habitats that hold their own in comparison to many others of their kind. For overall consistency I would rate this zoo in the top 5 in the country, and there is already an ambitious master plan that would overhaul what is the weakest section of the zoo: the African Veldt area in the middle of the map. The goal, as has been for countless North American zoos in the past decade, is to spend mega-dollars on a sparkling new, multi-acre African elephant exhibit.
Have any announcements made about whether the new elephant exhibit is going to happen, or does it seem more likely that this zoo will end its elephant program?
Does anybody know if the Koch orangutan exhibit was funded by the Koch brothers of recent political scandals? If so, I wonder if there is any concern about this on the zoo's part? Hopefully it is not an issue.
Have any announcements made about whether the new elephant exhibit is going to happen, or does it seem more likely that this zoo will end its elephant program?
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The zoo has no intention of ending its elephant program. The delay can be attributed to the lack of support of the city on the project. They have down scaled the plans and are trying to meet them half way.
Have any announcements made about whether the new elephant exhibit is going to happen, or does it seem more likely that this zoo will end its elephant program?
Does anybody know if the Koch orangutan exhibit was funded by the Koch brothers of recent political scandals? If so, I wonder if there is any concern about this on the zoo's part? Hopefully it is not an issue.
Yes, this is the same infamous set of brothers, whose initial company was founded and is based in Wichita. It should be noted that they (or more accurately their family foundation) have also made enormous donations to build and name major wings of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, several of the big New York cultural centers, etc. The unstated reality of much philanthropic giving is that is serves as a "payback" for the actions that generated the fortunes in the first place......
The zoo has no intention of ending its elephant program. The delay can be attributed to the lack of support of the city on the project. They have down scaled the plans and are trying to meet them half way.
Hopefully they will be able to get the support of the city. Lack of governmental support seems to have been behind the demise of the elephant programs at San Francisco and (soon apparently) Toronto Zoos.
It seems like more and more major zoos are going elephant-less without catastrophic results to their visitation and support (e.g., Lincoln Park and Brookfield in Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Omaha). If this trend continues at Sedgwick (which seems possible without governmental support of the project) then it seems likely that the zoo will probably be fine in the long run.
